HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania's governor says he won't appeal a state court ruling that struck down its voter identification law.

Gov. Tom Corbett released a statement Thursday defending the law but saying it needed changes. He says he hopes to work with the Legislature on them.

The law was one of the strictest in the nation, requiring nearly all voters to show certain forms of photo identification at the polls.

It was never enforced, having been put on hold during the legal challenge. A state judge declared it unconstitutional in January.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the law in 2012, saying it would prevent voter fraud. Democrats unanimously opposed it, saying it was designed to suppress voting by racial minorities, students and other left-leaning groups.